Aggie Fest 2020 was canceled due to unforeseen circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and because the pandemic is still active across the world there was no guarantee that Aggie Fest 2021 was going to happen too.
Aggie Fest has been around since 1980, and a few years after that, it has become the HBCU college spring event, but this year it was a little bit different.
The Office of Student Activities, with the help of other big organizations, was able to give students a piece of Aggie Fest by allowing a few online and outside events following Governor Roy Cooper’s Corona regulations/guidelines.
Kyonna Henry, the assistant director of student activities on campus, was challenged by putting Aggie Fest together with the Covid-19 restrictions, but she was very excited to have it because the students have already missed out on so many other activities this school year.
“It has been challenging trying to make sure we are finding the best experience for students to enjoy safely, but still have a great experience to think back on for the year 2021,” said Henry.
The Ben & Jerry ice cream social was an outside event that gave students free ice cream, and most of the students enjoyed it quite a bit because it was on the same day as a wellness day.
Iiana Gailliarod, a freshman visual arts and design student, enjoyed the ice-cream activity on the 7th and was excited for the remainder of Aggie Fest
“I love it, this is my favorite one,” said Gailliard. “I come and get my ice cream and I sit here and enjoy my wellness day… and this time they had non-dairy ice cream which I really enjoyed and appreciated.”
The Dreamgirls movie event was held at the Truist Stadium where students were able to enjoy a complimentary T-shirt and a free beverage. Students had to display a negative covid-19 test to enter the stadium.
Covid-19 testing was across the street from the stadium, and they were giving out 15-minute rapid tests.
Jamille Whitlow, a junior multimedia journalism student who was able to attend the Dreamgirls movie enjoyed her time there.
“The event was very well thought out, they spaced the bleacher seat by every two rows to socially distance and the Covid on-site test was very quick and efficient,” said Whitlow. “I enjoyed the movie, seeing it with other students enhanced the event because we were all singing along.”
The lineup for Aggie Fest 2021 for the week of April 5th to 11th was:
-April 5th– Jeopardy with RHA
-April 6th– Blue and Gold Versus Battle presented by SUAB
-April 7th– The Aggie Experience Fashion Show Montage presented by the Council of Presidents
-April 7th– OSA put together a Ben & Jerry’s icecream social outside
-April 8th and 10th– The Office of Fraternity and Sorority engagement presented the unmasking of new members from Phi MU ALPHA, OMEGA PSI PHI, DELTA SIGMA THETA, PHI BETA SIGMA, ZETA PHI BETA, KAPPA KAPPA PSI, and TAU BETA SIGMA.
-April 9th– Outside glow in the dark golfing by OSA
-April 11th– Dreamgirls movie playing at the Truist Stadium.
The April 9th glow-in-the-dark golf at the Truist Stadium was postponed to a future date due to the threat of severe weather, so students will still have another opportunity to experience an outside activity on campus.
Also, all of the signups for these events were accessed through 1891Connect, and that is how future events will be accessed too.
